How and when psychological capital enhances well-being at work: evidence from the Tunisian healthcare professionals

• Date: 14 November 2023
• Pages: 396-414
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-12-2022-0209
• Published date: 14 November 2023
• Subject Matter: Health & social care,Healthcare management,HR & organizational behaviour,Human resource policy,Employee welfare
• Author: Amir Nasria,Emna Gara Bach Ouerdian

How and when psychological

capital enhances well-being

at work: evidence from the

Tunisian healthcare professionals

Amir Nasria and Emna Gara Bach Ouerdian

University of Tunis Higher Institute of Management, Le Bardo, Tunisia and

PRISME Laboratory (LR18ES24), Sfax, Tunisia

Abstract

Purpose –This study investigates how and when psychological capital (PsyCap) enhances well-being at work

(WBW). Drawing on the job demands-resources(JD-R) model and the conservation of resource (COR) theory, an

integrated model attempts to identify the relationship between PsyCap and employees’workplace well-being,

mediated through work engagement (WE). Furthermore, the authors seek to understand how coaching-based

leadership (CBL) moderates the relationship above.

Design/methodology/approach –Data were obtained from healthcare professionals who worked during

the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in Tunisianhospitals. An online survey was distributed anonymously. A total of

449 questionnaires were included in the analysis. The PROCESS macro for SPSS (models 4 and 7) was

employed to analyze the data.

Findings –The findings revealed that PsyCap significantly relates to WBW; and WE and CBL act as a

mediating mechanism and a boundary condition, respectively.The collective effect of PsyCap, WE and CBL on

WBW was also confirmed based on moderated mediation analysis.

Practical implications –This study gives HR managers insights into the importance of developing workers’

PsyCap to promote their WBW. The findings also suggest that healthcare managers and leaders who aim to

promote well-being should act as coaches.

Originality/value –This study extends research on WBW and sheds light on essential mechanisms and

boundary conditions under which PsyCap promotes workplace well-being.

Keywords Well-being at work, Psychological capital, Work engagement, Coaching-based leadership,

Healthcare professionals

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

Workplace well-being has become an important research focus, particularly given its impact

on overall life satisfaction due to the substantial amount of time adults spend at work

(Schwarz et al., 2023), Moreover, research has shown a direct link between employee well-

being and performance at work (Aubouin-Bonnaventure et al., 2023). In this context,

prioritizing employee well-being not only helps retain talented individuals but also fosters the

attraction of top-tier talent within the industry, owing to developing a strong employer brand

(Zwetsloot et al., 2010).

This recognition of the importance of well-being in the workplace has prompted scholars

from various research fields to investigate a wide range of potential drivers of employee well-

being (Mishra and Venkatesan, 2023). However, Avey et al. (2010, p. 18) lament that

“theoretical mechanisms of the positive antecedents to well-being have given little attention.”

In line with this, Schwarz et al. (2023) further emphasize the insufficiency of solely focusing on

symptoms of problems in the pursuit of well-being.

Therefore, it is of utmost importance to explore the positive psychological factors that

contribute to well-being at work (WBW), with a focus on psychological capital (PsyCap).

Recent studies, including Babu et al. (2023), have shown a strong link between PsyCap and

IJWHM

16,5/6

396

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

https://www.emerald.com/insight/1753-8351.htm

Received 22 December 2022

Revised 5 June 2023

11 August 2023

13 October 2023

Accepted 14 October 2023

InternationalJournal of Workplace

Health Management

Vol. 16 No. 5/6, 2023

pp. 396-414

© Emerald Publishing Limited

1753-8351

DOI 10.1108/IJWHM-12-2022-0209

mental health in Western and Asian countries. However, the understanding of this

relationship specifically in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remains limited.

Due to the distinctive cultural and economic landscape of MENA, PsyCap’s influence may

differ from that of the West or Asia. As Abubakar et al. (2019) noted, the impact of PsyCap can

vary culturally. While Elrehail et al. (2022) studied PsyCap and future time perspectives in

MENA, little is known about its direct impact on well-being in that region. We intend to

address this gap in the literature by providing insights into PsyCap interventions particular

to MENA workplace well-being.

Moreover, to our knowledge, previous studies have yet to survey healthcare professionals

to examine this relationship specifically. Considering the increasing demands and pressures

healthcare professionals face, it is crucial to explore avenues that promote their well-being

(Achat et al., 2023). By addressing this gap within the Tunisian healthcare sector, we can

contribute to the development of evidence-based interventions and strategies that enhance

the psychological well-being of healthcare professionals, ultimately leading to improved

patient outcomes and overall healthcare system performance.

And while there is a substantial body of research conducted in various cultural and

professional contexts (e.g. Avey et al., 2010;Li, 2018b;Ribeiro et al., 2021), the actual

mechanisms underpinning this influence have yet to be discovered (Youssef-Morgan and

Luthans, 2015). If explored, these mechanisms may provide HR managers and practitioners

with different intervention components. These practitioners may, for instance, gain relatively

novel insights into whether and how PsyCap can contribute to workplace well-being through

such mechanisms.

While research in this area is developing rapidly, some unanswered questions remain. The

most important question is the following: How and when is the PsyCap of healthcare

professionals related to their WBW? This research question can be divided into sub-

questions: Does PsyCap promote WBW? Does PsyCap indirectly influence well-being

through engagement at work, and if so, to what extent? Is there an interaction effect between

PsyCap and CBL? Or does CBL moderate the indirect relationship between PsyCap

and WBW?

In answering these questions, this research seeks to offer multiple contributions. It

integrates the conservation of resources (COR) theory and the job demands-resources

(JD-R) model with PsyCap, introducing unique MENA cultural perspectives. The research

also aims to clarify the nuanced interactions between PsyCap, work engagement (WE)

and CBL, addressing notable theoretical gaps. Practically, the findings will equip HR

professionals in the MENA region with strategies to enhance the well-being of healthcare

professionals.

Theoretical framework and hypotheses

Psychological capital and well-being

Compared to more traditional forms of capital, such as financial, human or social capital,

PsyCap, also known as PsyCap, has recently received a great deal of attention as a promising

new form of capital for organizational development (Luthans and Youssef, 2004). In fact, over

the past decade, a lot of research has shown a link between this concept and positive

workplace outcomes and organizational effectiveness (Newman et al., 2014;Nolzen, 2018).

Positive psychology (Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi, 2000) and positive organizational

behavior (Luthans, 2002) are the foundations of the PsyCap. It is defined by Luthans et al.

(2007,p.3)as“an individual’s positive psychological state of development and is

characterized by: (1) having confidence (self-efficacy) to take in and put in the necessary

effort to succeed at challenging tasks; (2) making positive attribution (optimism) about

succeeding now and in the future; (3) persevering toward goals and, when necessary,

Psychological

capital

enhances

WBW

397